The small interaction between Jin Hayes and Anna didn't receive too much attention. At the time, the commentator Mehmet Scholl just mentioned it in passing: "Jin Hayes is very happy after scoring; he's making a heart sign to thank the fans.
Speaking of which, Jin not only has excellent skills but also an outstanding character. Every time he meets fans, he patiently signs autographs and takes photos, and after matches, he tries his best to respond to simple interactions with them.
It's said that Jin almost never goes to nightclubs or bars. The only time he was photographed was after the team's big win against Real Madrid, when he went to a nightclub in Madrid with his teammates and coaches."
Oliver Kahn nodded: "Yes, a player's professional quality is truly important. For a young man like him, as long as he stays focused on football itself, he will surely reach an astonishing height.
Too many young players get tainted by the temptations of entertainment, fame, and fortune too early, fading from the world of football prematurely." There are countless examples of this, and Scholl felt a bit emotional as well.
He had practically watched Jin Hayes grow from a substitute player into the current darling of Westfalen. He really didn't want to see a young talent fade so quickly.
"Media from various countries have discussed before whether Jin Hayes's 25 assists in 17 matches this season are somewhat bizarre and not normal figures for the Bundesliga.
Anyone who has actually watched the matches knows that almost 100% of Borussia Dortmund's goals now are related to Jin. That's right, not 90, but 100%! He is almost the only true core in the attacking third, with all threatening attacks originating from him.
Coupled with Borussia Dortmund's style of frantic attacking, it's understandable that there are many goals and that Jin has many assists. We'll just have to see if he can maintain it in the second half of the season—"
As Scholl was speaking, in the second half, a Borussia Dortmund counterattack once again tore through the Bayer Leverkusen defence. Jin Hayes broke into the penalty area after consecutive dribbles on the flank, and after a crossover with Mario Götze, he flicked the ball to Götze with his heel. Götze's point‑blank shot hit the mark steadily.
"Mario Götze!! Borussia Dortmund extend their lead! Jin Hayes has notched another assist! 26 assists in a single season! This means that breaking his own single‑season assist record is now just a matter of time!!"
2‑0.
Borussia Dortmund got off to a winning start in the second half of the season, still leading the table by a massive 11 points.
At today's home match, Marco Reus even came to the scene on crutches. As soon as the match ended, Reus dragged his injured leg to congratulate everyone.
"Yo, isn't this the famous disabled athlete Marco?"
"Strong‑willed despite the disability, not forgetting the pitch even like this. It's truly touching."
"A bunch of idiots!" Reus almost picked up his crutches to beat them.
"Marco, how is the recovery going?"
"Coach, the cast can be removed in a while. I feel like I can return to the pitch in February."
"No, no, no." Jürgen Klopp patted Reus on the shoulder solemnly. "As long as you can recover your form, there will always be a spot for you in my starting lineup, don't worry. Recover in peace; you can't be impatient."
"Alright." Klopp was still quite fond of Reus. This young man had been rejected in the youth academy, but Klopp was able to see his brilliance. So what if he was thin and had poor physicality?
Reus's dribbling and breakthrough abilities were top‑tier in the Bundesliga. His chemistry with Jin Hayes was also great; those high‑scoring victories in the first half of the season usually came from the Reus‑Jin Hayes connection, with the two of them combining for over half of the team's goals.
During this period without Reus, it was indeed a bit difficult for Jin Hayes to carry the team alone. To be honest, Jakub Błaszczykowski on the right was also very good, able to use his speed to beat defenders and create chances for the front line. His chemistry with Jin Hayes was also not bad.
It was just that Jin Hayes preferred to take the ball and break through from the middle. If the right winger were a player with stronger cutting and shooting abilities, it might enrich Borussia Dortmund's tactical system.
Of course, the lone striker position also needed reinforcements. It would be best to have one or two players who were good at holding the ball, breaking through, and passing, combined with top‑tier finishing to help Jin Hayes finish the job.
"Is there such a player?"
Klopp racked his brain but found no answer. Taking advantage of the winter transfer window, Klopp had looked at many players, but unfortunately, none were very suitable strikers. While others didn't dare to approach the head coach, Jin Hayes had no such reservations.
"Coach, why are you worrying even after winning?"
"I wanted to find a suitable striker for the team, but I haven't found one I'm satisfied with." Facing the 16‑year‑old Jin Hayes, Klopp didn't hold back. The two of them actually often chatted at the club about tactics, lineups, or other leagues. Initially, Klopp just treated Jin Hayes like a kid, chatting casually to pass the time.
Later, he found that wasn't the case; Jin Hayes's understanding of football far exceeded that of his peers. Plus, he seemed to have a certain foresight, always accurately predicting certain problems, or predicting a player's form and performance after a transfer.
During the pre‑season preparations, Jin Hayes had accurately predicted that the summer transfer record‑breaker Robinho would not be successful at Manchester City. He also predicted that Arjen Robben's arrival at Bayern would spark the second peak of his career. Since Jin Hayes had been right about all these players, Klopp inevitably trusted his words much more.
"I remember the last time I watched a match, there was a striker in the Polish league—the Ekstraklasa—who was impressive. What was his name—Lewandowski? You can give him a try."
"Who is that?"
"I'm not too sure either. You can have the scouts investigate; there might be a surprise."
"Alright."
Hearing the two of them chatting, Reus also hobbled over on his crutches. "I know someone who's also quite good; maybe he can help the team."
"Who?"
"A Borussia Dortmund youth product and an old friend of mine, Kevin Großkreutz. He's currently playing in the 2. Bundesliga, which is a bit of a waste of his talent."
"Oh? Is he really that amazing? Then I'll have to consider it seriously."
"He won't let you down." Reus was very excited; he had finally recommended a job to his good brother. Großkreutz was a friend from his days in the Borussia Dortmund youth team, a true‑blue Black and Yellow player. Both brothers were in the youth academy, but the younger brother Kevin Großkreutz was more talented.
"Since you both have ideas, tell me about any other candidates or connections you have. If they're reasonable, I'll consider having them join the team."
"Then I'll mention another one." Jin Hayes thought for a moment and finally remembered someone. In the matches he had watched of that Dortmund team, they eventually reached the Champions League final. The lineup for that final shouldn't be bad, right?
"The two brothers from the Munich 1860 youth academy, Sven Bender and Lars Bender."
"Wait, you even know about them?" Klopp was already arranging for scouts to investigate the two brothers; in fact, the scout report had just arrived in Klopp's inbox in the last couple of days.
The older brother Lars Bender was more well‑rounded, with a balanced attack and defence. The younger brother Sven Bender was a typical defensive midfielder, with more aggressive defensive interceptions. If possible, Klopp wanted to sign the brothers as a package deal. For Jin Hayes to actually say their names was truly incredible.
"I can only say that I often browse forums and see fans praising them, so they should be good." Jin Hayes thought quickly and made up a reason on the fly. He couldn't exactly say he had foreseen it.
"Forget it, why am I discussing signings with you two for so long? Go and celebrate with the team; you played well today." Jürgen Klopp came to his senses and shooed the two young men away, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He really was turning to anyone in his desperation, asking two players—what reasonable advice could he get? But then again—
"Hey, Tim. Keep an eye on two people for me. One is a former youth player, Kevin Großkreutz. And the other is a striker from the Polish league, Robert Lewandowski. —Don't worry about where the names came from, just go and scout them. Try to get a detailed report as soon as possible—"
As for the squad issues, this was all Klopp could do for now. Even if signings were finalized, they wouldn't be able to join the team for the second half of this season. So, the upcoming matches would depend on these young lads, especially Jin Hayes. What kind of results the team would achieve this season depended crucially on his performance.
…
Night.
On the swing in the Heinrich house backyard. Jin Hayes and Anna took advantage of the couple going out for drinks and snuck into the backyard.
"Why does it feel like we're having an affair, even though we're in a proper relationship?"
"What affair?" Anna gave Jin Hayes a look with her beautiful eyes. "Just say if it's exciting enough."
"It actually is a bit." Dating secretly behind her family's back, the feeling of both fearing being caught and having her heart race made Anna a bit addicted. She even began to wonder if she was deliberately keeping it secret just for this bit of excitement. Looking up and seeing Jin Hayes's playful smile, Anna realized he was teasing her.
"I hate you!" Anna acted spoiled with an exotic flair, her small fist thumping his chest. Jin Hayes couldn't help but feel a wave of warmth throughout his body, and he grabbed the girl's slender wrist.
"What do you want to do?"
"What do you think?"
"Don't. What if they come back?"
Seeing Jin Hayes leaning closer and closer, Anna panicked. The two had been officially dating for a month, but they hadn't actually made much progress; they hadn't even kissed many times.
On weekdays, Jin Hayes was busy training, and after training, he had to catch up on his schoolwork. Anna also had her work as a commercial model.
By the time the two met, it was already quite late, and it wasn't very convenient to be intimate in front of her parents. They could only find an opportunity when the others weren't home to sneak into the backyard.
"It's fine."
Jin Hayes, who had previously almost never been near women, was gradually becoming addicted to that intoxicating feeling. Anna had just closed her eyes, preparing to slowly lean in. Suddenly, the sound of a lock turning was heard nearby, and Hans and Maria walked into the house, talking and laughing loudly.
"Ah! Wait! They're back!" Jin Hayes was almost touching her lips when he was hurriedly pushed away by Anna.
"It'll be quick."
"No."
"Alright."
Jin Hayes was slightly disappointed, feeling a faint pang of bitterness in his heart. Could it be that deep down, Anna still couldn't accept him?
On the pitch, Jin Hayes could accurately judge a situation within 0.2 seconds and make a key decision. But in this unfamiliar territory, Jin Hayes, with zero dating experience, couldn't help but overthink.
In reality, Anna regretted it the moment she pushed Jin Hayes away; she noticed that while Jin Hayes tried to smile on the surface, the disappointment in his eyes couldn't be hidden. At that moment, Anna felt a bit of heartache for the boy in front of her; what had he done wrong?
It was clearly her own awkwardness.
Anna couldn't help but use her cool little hand to lightly caress the boy's handsome face.
"I didn't mean it that way. Actually, I also wanted to—" Anna was too embarrassed to continue and lowered her head shyly.
"You wanted what?" The light returned to Jin Hayes's eyes.
"Just a kiss." Anna's voice was as quiet as a whisper, her head almost burying itself in Jin Hayes's chest.
Through the window, Jin Hayes could vaguely see Uncle Hans's figure. Seeing that the uncle was about to walk toward the backyard, a playful smile suddenly appeared on the corner of Jin Hayes's mouth. "It'll be a while before they come over. Let's have a quick one and be done with it."
"Alright, then—just one." Anna couldn't bear to push Jin Hayes away again. She was also somewhat moved, so she tilted her small chin up and closed her eyes.
Jin Hayes put his arm around the girl's thin shoulders and lowered his head to press against her lips. The girl thought it would just be a light touch and that would be it, but who knew this guy would get more and more out of hand, actually wanting to—
'Mmph!!'
Anna hadn't expected that Jin Hayes was not only good at breaking through defensive lines on the pitch. He was also very good at breaking through the defence of her teeth in this situation.
In a moment of panic, he took advantage of the opening, and by the time she wanted to push him away again, her hands were too weak to use any strength. She was swinging between panic and addiction.
However, she heard her father's loud voice again and the sound of footsteps getting closer.
"Anna? Jin? Are you home?"
!!
Feeling the struggle of the girl in his arms, Jin Hayes held her tightly. The panicked Anna felt like her heart was going to jump out, yet she was unable to pull away from Jin Hayes. For a moment, she had a sense of reckless abandon, as if she didn't care even if the world were to end.
Just a second before Uncle Hans was about to push open the back door and enter the yard, Jin Hayes quickly released Anna and sat upright beside her. Only Anna was left staring blankly, gasping for breath.
"Oh, Jin, Anna, you're here—I thought you'd gone out."
"Yeah, Uncle Hans. Anna was curious about some things from today's match, so I was chatting with her." Jin Hayes stood up, smiling openly and honestly, without a single flaw to be seen.
Uncle Hans only looked at the two of them suspiciously but didn't say much. Speaking of today's match against Bayer Leverkusen, the slightly tipsy Uncle Hans was very excited.
"Yeah! Jin, it really has to be you; you played beautifully! That shot in the first half was just too crucial!!" Once he started talking about the match, Uncle Hans could go on all night. He didn't notice at all that his daughter was sitting on the swing, completely dazed.
Uncle Hans got excited as he talked and put his arm around Jin Hayes's shoulders again. "Come on, Jin. To celebrate today's victory, let's have another can together!"
"Huh? Another one?" They were already 'brothers' now? How much had Uncle Hans drunk?
"I'm happy today!"
Jin Hayes was helplessly dragged away by Uncle Hans. Before leaving, he could only pat Anna's shoulder, signalling her to go inside quickly as it was a bit chilly outside.
"Hmph!! You jerk!! I'm never talking to you again!
" Anna looked at their retreating backs, stomping her feet in a frenzy. But the thrill from just now still lingered for a long time, unable to dissipate.